Resilient Nuggets outlast Lillard to capture a pivotal Game 5 win

Portland’s Damian Lillard did everything humanly possible to give his team the series lead against the Nuggets in Denver — setting NBA records in the process — and still couldn’t do it as the league’s presumptive MVP set records his of own while orchestrating another clutch playoff performance and postseason win.

Nikola Jokic’s 38-point, 11-rebound, 9-assist, 4-block outburst was the first of its kind in NBA playoff history, and it was desperately needed as Lillard exploded for 55 points on an almost impossibly efficient 17-for-24 shooting night that saw him hit a record 12 three-pointers, many of the “did you see that” variety in decisive moments.

“It was a pleasure to be on the court, just to witness that,” Jokic said, after the Nuggets found a way to hang on to a 147-140, double-overtime victory that puts them within one more win of advancing to the Western Conference semifinals.

The Nuggets started out the game with a bang, jumping out to a 10-0 lead before the Trail Blazers slowly reeled them back in; igniting a game that saw 12 lead changes and 11 ties over the next 54 minutes on the court.

Jokic, as usual, was the focal point of the Nuggets’ attack, but he got 28 points off the bench from Monte Morris, whose reliable ball-handling proved critical late, and Michael Porter Jr., who bounced back brilliantly from an awful Game 4 performance to score 26 points and grab 12 rebounds while shooting 10-for-13 from the field — including the most important basket of the season when his three-pointer from the corner with fewer than two minutes remaining gave the Nuggets the margin that they needed to claim the pivotal Game 5 win despite Lillard’s heroics.

“We won and lost that game so many times before ultimately winning it,” coach Michael Michael Malone said. “We never got down. Every time they threw a haymaker and got us down on the canvas, we got up — and were able to pull it out in the end.”

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NEXT UP: Game 6: Nuggets at Trail Blazers (Nuggets lead series 3-2) | Thursday, Jun. 3 at 6:00 p.m. | TV: TNT

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NOTES

• Michael Porter Jr. righted the ship in Game 5 after a poor Game 4 performance that saw him take only three shots in the Nuggets’ loss. Porter was back to his usual, efficient self, shooting 77 percent from the field en route to 26 points and a dozen hard-earned rebounds. “That’s what playoff basketball is,” Porter Jr. said after his clutch three-pointer effectively ended the Trail Blazers’ comeback attempt in double-overtime.

• Monte Morris’ 41 minutes on the court was the most for him this season, and his stabilizing force was essential to the Nuggets’ win. His 28 points, including four three-pointers, diversified the Nuggets’ offense in comparison to Facundo Campazzo’s stewardship. Campazzo’s frenetic, and at times clumsy, play was in stark contrast to Morris’ savvy effort; expect Morris to continue to receive the lion’s share of the minutes at point guard — whether he starts or not.

• Despite what it looked like at the time, the Nuggets shot 5-for-7 (71.4 percent) from three-point range in the two overtime periods. In contrast, the Trail Blazers shot only 4-for-12 (33 percent).

• Aaron Gordon’s all-around performance on Tuesday — 14 points, 10 rebounds and four assists — didn’t come at the expense of his fierce and varied defensive effort. The shorthanded Nuggets will need more of that to close this series out.

• Markus Howard had nine points — all on three-pointers — in 16 minutes on the court. Coach Michael Malone is clearly comfortable letting the rookie take big shots; Howard led the country in scoring with 27.8 points per game at Marquette last season.

• Will Barton is close to returning from a hamstring injury that’s kept him out since Apr. 23, and may be able to make his postseason debut in Game 6 Thursday. The Nuggets could use Barton’s scoring and savvy in late-game conditions.

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THE FINAL WORD

“I said, ‘I’ve got to make up for that buzzer beater that Dame hit. I’ve got to make up for it.'” — Michael Porter Jr., on his back-breaking three-pointer in double-overtime.

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ROTATION (MINUTES)

Starters
G Facundo Campazzo (21)
G Austin Rivers (47)
F Aaron Gordon (39)
F Michael Porter Jr. (48)
C Nikola Jokic (46)

Bench
G Monte Morris (41)
F JaMychal Green (20)
G Markus Howard (16)
F Paul Millsap (11)
G Shaquille Harrison (1)
C JaVale McGee (1)
F Bol Bol (DNP-CD)
F Vlatko Cancar (DNP-CD)
F Zeke Nnaji (DNP-CD)

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INJURY WATCH

• Will Barton (hamstring) was injured on Apr. 23. Coach Michael Malone said Barton will be out “for the foreseeable future” on Apr. 24, but it’s possible that he could return by Game 6 of the Nuggets’ first-round playoff series.

• P.J. Dozier (right hip tightness) left the May 3 game and is out indefinitely. He will not return for the first round of the playoffs.

• Jamal Murray (torn left ACL) was injured in the final minute of the Apr. 12 game. His season is over, and realistically, Murray will be out until at least the 2022 All-Star break.

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Shawn Drotar is the host of “The Fan Late Night with Shawn Drotar;” weeknights from 10:00 p.m. to midnight — only on 104.3 The Fan

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